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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093998">by blood we're bound (through ups and downs)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianchiyo/pseuds/lesbianchiyo'>lesbianchiyo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Serious Injuries, Zombie Apocalypse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:41:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianchiyo/pseuds/lesbianchiyo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ren was stupid sometimes, sometimes he did things Takaya could never forgive him for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abe Takaya/Mihashi Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>by blood we're bound (through ups and downs)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <a href="https://youtu.be/PWVU-pCBWi8">comfort crowd</a>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p>@jazzqueeni (on tumblr) requested abemiha angst so i present something kind of angsty and self-indulgent. </p><p>i've been meaning to write a zombie apocalypse for awhile, and i finally did!! these aren't your normal zombies, because it's me i have to put my own twist on things. you'll see what i mean when you read this. </p><p>this somehow connects to a zombie apocalypse au i tried to write a long time ago where ren is a military school student. background info everyone's 16, maybe i was inspired by no.6, but that's a secret. </p><p>this is one of the longest fics i've written in one sitting, i think i wrote this in four hours straight, which is wow just wow. so i hope you enjoy. i've been really upset about my writing lately, so it feels good to write a very very self-indulgent fic with my comfort ship.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>           Takaya watched Ren go, his off-white shirt becoming nothing more than a splotch of blurry color. It looked like a painting, vivid and real, eye catching, emotional, Takaya felt sick. He watched Ren become nothing but a blur of strawberry pink and white and black, skin pale against the dark gray and red of the rubble around them. Takaya could barely hear a thing, he felt cold, heart pounding wildly inside him, as if it too wanted to rush out after the boy, but just like his heart Takaya was trapped behind bars.</p><p>            Kousuke’s grip never faltered, he kept Takaya wrapped up in his arms, held the struggling boy against his chest as he took a couple wobbly steps in the opposite direction, away from Ren. Takaya dug the back of his boots in the soft dirt, hoping it would slow them down, but all it did was leave a trail.</p><p>            “What the fuck are you doing!? Ren!?” Takaya’s voice was thick with underlying struggle, he pushed and pulled, grabbed at Kousuke’s fingers as he screamed.</p><p>            “Come on, Taka.” Kousuke whispered, he wrapped his arms even tighter around Takaya’s chest, tried his best to keep Takaya’s arms at his side.</p><p>            “No, No!” Takaya continued to struggle, slamming the back of his boots into the dirt even deeper; it just left a deeper trail. “Let me the fuck go.” He thrashed in Kousuke’s arms, successfully elbowing the boy in the gut, but all he got was a groan Kousuke holding on even tighter.</p><p>            “No I can’t, fuck, Ren! Ren please!”</p><p>            The blur that was Ren was barely visible now, nothing but a splotch of white against the depressing back drop that was the early morning sky, and the rubble that used to be their city.</p><p>            “Takaya, please be quiet.” Fumiki’s voice was nothing but a whisper, barely audible under Takaya’s struggling, but Takaya turned to look at the boy. He was as pale as a sheet, looked sick, maybe even a little green around the eyes.</p><p>            Takaya swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, turning away from his sick friend, “FUCK NO, REN GET BA—”</p><p>            Kousuke slapped a hand against Takaya’s mouth muffling the rest of his screams. Takaya continued to thrash in Kousuke’s grip, slamming his back against the boy’s chest. Kousuke continued to drag him backwards, so Takaya tried again, this time biting into the soft skin of Kousuke’s palm. The boy didn’t even wince.</p><p>            “Please be quiet. They’ll hear you and then they’ll kill him and us.”</p>
<hr/><p>            </p><p>            Kousuke didn’t let Takaya go until they found cover; a small abandoned house that looked ready to collapse at any second. Takaya watched Kousuke move furniture in front of the shaky door and broken windows from his spot of his floor, he pulled his knees to his chest wincing at the sound of a hutch dragging across the hard wood floor.</p><p>            Fumiki was sprawled across the cool tiles in the kitchen, his cheek smooshed against the floor. He was starting to look better, though he was still sick, green around the eyes, but the color was coming back. A tan dark from their travel in the hot summer sun.</p><p>            Takaya couldn’t help notice how quiet it was, how lonely it felt. How cold he felt, the warmth that would be pressed against him right now, the heavy head against his shoulder were nothing but a distant memory. He stifled a sob that threatened to escape against the palm of his hand, choking on his own spit.</p><p>            “H-how will he find us?”</p><p>            Takaya knew better than anyone that Ren’s plan wasn’t to find them ever again, but he couldn’t help but ask it. He couldn’t help but yearn for the confirmation that Ren might make it, might find their new temporary hideout.</p><p>            Kousuke’s movement stuttered, the desk he was dragging across the floor squeaking in an ear-splitting way; like nails on a chalkboard. A lone tear made its way down Takaya’s cheek, and he wiped it away with shaky fingers. Kousuke watched him nervously, his knuckles white as he shoved the desk in front of the back door, double checking the lock while doing so.</p><p>            “He’ll.” Kousuke stopped, looking everywhere but Takaya, Fumiki on the other hand was doing the opposite. His wide eyes stayed on Takaya, watched his every movement as Takaya struggled to wipe away the tears falling pass his waterline.</p><p>            “It’s all y-your f-fault.” Takaya choked out beneath a sob; he buried his head in his hands. “I-if, Fumiki hadn’t been fucking s-stupid and gotten bit he- w-we wouldn’t h-have needed a distraction. Fuck. Kou, it should of b-been me, w-why did you, I s-should of gone a-after him.”</p><p>            “We didn’t want to lose you.” Kousuke whispered, he sat down a couple inches away from him.</p><p>            “O-oh so you’re saying it’s okay to lose Ren, I s-s-see.” Takaya lifted his head, rubbing at his damp cheeks. Kousuke was looking at him with guilty eyes, lips pursed.</p><p>            “That’s not what I meant.” He sighed, “You of all people should know that, Taka.”</p><p>            “D-don’t call me that.” Takaya struggled to suck in a deep breath, he felt betrayed by his only other friends. He knew what Kousuke meant, knew he had no right to blame them. He knew it’s was nobodies’ fault, not his, not Fumiki’s, not Kousuke’s and most of all not Ren’s.</p><p>            It was just something that had to happen, it was just something they had to do. Risking one life was better than risking four, and Takaya knew that, but why’d it have to be Ren. Why’d he let him, why’d he listen. But Ren was so pretty, and Takaya had barely been listening, barely heard a word he said, and his lips. His lips had been soft against his, but the awkward push had their teeth clashing together, had Takaya feeling every bump and crack of Ren’s lips, and before he had a chance to collect his thoughts Ren was nothing but a blur.</p><p>            A vivid painting in his mind’s eye.</p><p>            “I’m sorry,” Kousuke moved to grab Takaya’s hand and when he didn’t pull away, he did so, sliding their fingers together carefully. Kousuke’s hands were as cold as his. “I know you loved him.”</p><p>            “N-not loved, l-love.” Takaya squeezed Kousuke’s hand, tears dropping across his face, painting trails of red, just like the trails of dirt his boots left. He rubbed at his cheeks with his free hand, biting down on his lip as another sob racked his body.</p><p>            Kousuke moved closer to Takaya, his hand still held tightly in Takaya’s grip, “Right, you love him.”</p><p>            Takaya nodded, sniffling, his nose already starting to run. He could feel Kousuke’s heat, the heat of another human, he was once again reminded about how cold it was, how lonely he was without the boy pressed up against him. Takaya didn’t think he could survive without Ren, and that thought alone had the tears falling even quicker, big and fat, and hot against his cool cheeks. “C-can y-you put your-your head o-on my shoulder?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>            It wasn’t until dinner did Takaya mention the elephant in the room, the shared thought that had been swept under the rug as the day turned to evening. Takaya was in the kitchen digging around in the drawers for a can opener, they had found some baked beans and a pot and upon testing the stove they were awarded with a working fire. There was no need for a can opener, but it would be easier than Takaya forcing the can open with his pocketknife.</p><p>            Kousuke was rewrapping Fumiki’s leg, the old bloodied bandage was replaced with a new off-white one. The floral tablecloth crinkled with every movement from Fumiki who was trying his hardest not to pull his leg away from Kousuke’s tight grip.</p><p>            “Is it too tight?”</p><p>            “N-no, I think it’s…okay.”</p><p>            Takaya thanked whatever had created the virus, they were lucky it only infected the people who had been deceased for years. The people who were nothing, but bone kept together by nothing but bacteria—it was all created by the virus—the chemicals that infected the dirt through the groundwater.</p><p>            Takaya sighed, he couldn’t find a can opener, so pocketknife it was. He pulled his knife from his pocket, flicking the blade out with a slide of his finger, he held the can tightly in his free hand before slamming the tip of the knife into the top of the can. It pierced the metal of the can easily, the sound catching both Fumiki’s and Kousuke’s attention.</p><p>            “I’m going after him tonight.” Takaya brought it up like it was normal, sliding the knife unevenly around the top of the can.</p><p>            “Takaya.”</p><p>            “I know there’s a small chance he’s still alive. I know I’m risking my life.” Takaya popped the top of the can open, the lines were uneven and sharp. “I’m not stupid. I just need closure.”</p><p>            Fumiki spoke up this time, “Closure could cost you your life. You know Re—"</p><p>            “Then I’ll be joining him.” Takaya snapped, there was anger growing at the base of his spine, it made his skin tingle. The beans fell into the pot with an awkward plop, the heat of the fire beneath it warmed his cool skin.</p><p>            Takaya pushed the blade closed before shoving it into his jean pocket. It had become awkward, Fumiki looking anywhere but him and Kousuke staring at him with wide worried eyes.</p><p>            “Takaya.” Kousuke grabbed Takaya’s bicep on his way out of the kitchen, Takaya refused to make eye contact. “At least stay for dinner, one more meal together. Please?”</p><p>            Takaya swallowed the lump in his throat, before turning to face him. Fumiki was staring at him now too, “I’m not hungry.”</p><p>            Takaya pulled his arm back, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Nobody stopped him as he left the dining room and disappeared down the main hall where their supplies lay stack beside eachother. Takaya dropped to the floor on his knees, the nerves finally starting to set in.</p><p>            He rubbed at his face, before rummaging around in Fumiki’s bag. He found a small handgun buried beneath a change of pants along with an extra pack of ammo. He picked it up, tested the weight before flicking at the trigger—it was empty of course—it felt comfortable enough in his grip. He pushed the extra pack of ammo into his pocket, setting the gun down next to him on the floor before pulling his bag towards him.</p><p>            He dug around, pulling out the supplies he didn’t need. He kept an extra roll of gauze, his sweatshirt and a bottle of water that had yet to be open. He left the good stuff for Fumiki and Kousuke—they needed it more than him, there was a small chance he’d even survive.</p><p>            Fumiki appeared in the entryway, his face shadowed and a slight limp tipping his body with every step forward. He joined Takaya on the floor with a groan. “You made Kou cry.”</p><p>            Takaya pulled a couple bullets from the pack in his pocket, slipping them into the chamber carefully, before flicking the trigger onto safety. “Good for him.”</p><p>            “I know you don’t mean that,” Fumiki curled his hands in his lap, “Kou doesn’t want to lose you too.”</p><p>            “He seemed pretty okay with losing Ren.” Takaya dropped the pile of supplies he didn’t need on top of Fumiki’s bag, before zipping his bag closed and pulling it into his lap. He curled himself over it.</p><p>            “You know that’s not true.” Fumiki frowned, “You know ever since Yoshirou went missing—”</p><p>            “Then he should of acted that way over Ren.” Takaya snapped, digging his fingers into the cloth of his bag the familiar heat of anger making his skin tingle.</p><p>            “Takaya I know you don’t mean that.”</p><p>            “You don’t know anything.”</p><p>            Fumiki sighed, “I know that he’s alive.”</p><p>            “What—”</p><p>            “I know that Ren’s alive, but you can’t tell Kou.” Fumiki’s voice dropped into a whisper leaning in closer to Takaya curling his hands around his mouth.</p><p>            “He—”</p><p>            “I slipped him extra ammo, and the repellent—”</p><p>            “Y-you gave him your medicine?”</p><p>            “I have more, I just slipped him a couple pills—”</p><p>            “When?”</p><p>            “When you guys were kissing.”</p><p>            Takaya curled his fingers into his bag even more, this time his anger hot skin was replaced with embarrassment.</p><p>            “And he—”</p><p>            “He’s alive, probably ripped up, but alive.”</p><p>            “He—” Takaya felt tears of relief bubbling behind his eyes, “F-fumiki, I—” His voice cracked, “God I fucking love you.” He threw his arms around Fumiki’s neck, pulling the boy into his chest.</p><p>            Fumiki laughed, hugging Takaya tightly, and when they parted, he gave Takaya’s arm a squeeze using his shoulder to help himself up.</p><p>            He turned to head back into the dining room but stopped,</p><p>            “Why are you still sitting there, go get your boyfriend back.”</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            Leave it to Fumiki, Takaya should of known. It was obvious that out of the Fumiki and Kousuke, Fumiki would be the one to protect everyone. Takaya knew Kousuke put on a strong façade, but behind the scenes it was Fumiki who took charge for him.</p><p>            Takaya made sure that once he got back with Ren, he’d apologize for dumping the blame on Kousuke. Even though he knew Fumiki was probably cleaning up his mess for him with lukewarm baked beans, Takaya wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he didn’t properly apologize to him. He knew Kousuke was suffering, he knew he was hurting deep down from losing Yoshirou, and Takaya knew Kousuke must be blaming himself for losing Ren, and Takaya had rubbed salt into the wound.</p><p>            He followed the trail his boots had made, the deep drag in the soft dirt that had yet be rubbed away by dragging bones. Which had to be a good sign, right? He gripped the gun in front of him with both hands, squinting to see through the last bit of light of the evening. If there was no trail from the, the zombies, the skeletons? What had Ren called them? Biters? Then that must mean there were none around, Takaya really hoped that’s what it meant.</p><p>            The sky was painted a bright mess of reds and oranges, a sight Takaya used to find relaxing, but now it had Takaya on high alert eye’s darting everywhere, checking every crack in the rubble around him for the creatures. He hurried along the trail, and when he stopped at the place, they had parted ways there was a sound behind him, he turned on his heels flicking the safety off on his gun and pointing it into the direction of the sound.</p><p>            The creature came out on its hands and knees, its head flipped upside down, jaw cracked open and hanging lopsided in the air. Takaya stood his ground, willing his hands to stop shaking as he kept the barrel pointed at the mess of bones. It reminded Takaya of a spider, the way it cocked its head when it noticed Takaya, the way it moved towards Takaya slowly its foot moving before it hands.</p><p>            Takaya took a couple steps back, and it took a couple steps forward, its eyeless skull staring into his soul. It came a couple inches closer before its shoulder’s bunched up, it’s tailbone sticking up and it pounced at him it fingers reaching for him—Takaya pulled the trigger, the sound of the gun making his ears ring.</p><p>            The bullet shattered the creature’s skull, pieces of bone flying everywhere as the rest of it’s body clattered to the dirt with a muffled <em>thump</em>.</p><p>            Takaya sighed in relief, but never dropped the gun instead he stood his ground turning to point the barrel in every direction around him. When nothing came out Takaya slowly backed up into the direction, he had last seen Ren.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>            The direction Ren had gone was nothing but a mess of rubble, and Takaya struggled over it tripping at loose pieces and balancing against higher pieces. He was still high off adrenaline, skin buzzing with worry, cool with anxiety, but hot from the summer humidity.</p><p>            Takaya dropped down from a higher piece of rubble, a shot of pain shooting up his legs, but he shook it off with a limp, glass and concrete cracking under his boots. The sunset had already started to change from bright reds and oranges to a dark purple and Takaya anxiously wanted to find Ren before it was too dark to see.</p><p>            He struggled over another higher piece of rubble and when he dropped over the side, he stopped. There were bone everywhere, their bodies piled up in a line, their splintered skulls everywhere. Takaya pointed the gun at the limp body below him, and he quickly stepped over it only having to do the same to the body next to it.</p><p>            At the end of the trail of limp piles of bone, was a building—one side of it was missing completely, the top torn off (probably from the tornado), but it would make a great cover and without thinking Takaya hurried around to the opening; his heart in his throat.</p><p>            There were two floors, and when Takaya found the first floor empty, he turned towards the crumbling steps. There was a good chance Ren was up there, Takaya looked up towards the ceiling above him before placing half his weight on the first step, he listened and when nothing happened, he stepped onto the second one. It wasn’t until he was halfway up the steps did, he start hearing things, the concrete beneath his feet crumbling even more, the step behind him crumbling into nothing but dust. Takaya hurried up the rest of the way, tripping at a loose piece he fell forward grabbing onto the opening towards the second floor as the rest of the stairs crumbled away.</p><p>            The gun in his hands slid away from him as he struggled to pull himself up, pressing his weight onto his forearms as he got his knee up. When he looked up, he was met with a barrel of a gun and a familiar bloodied face.</p><p>            Ren went pale, dropping the gun to scramble forward and pull Takaya up the rest of the way. Once Takaya was on sturdy ground, he took his time to collect his surrounds. There was no ceiling above them, and there was nothing on this floor. Just broken concrete.</p><p>            Ren collapsed on Takaya, pushing him onto his back as he curled his fingers in Takaya’s sweat slicked hair. Ren was unbelievably warm, warmer than Kousuke or Fumiki and Takaya felt the familiar sting in his eyes as the tears overflowed. He wrapped his arms around Ren’s back held him as tight as Kousuke had when he was keeping Takaya from running after him. He was so scared Ren was going to disappear again, he was so scared he’d almost lose him again.</p><p>            “You’re not allowed to pull shit like this again.” Takaya pressed a wet kiss to Ren’s mess of curls, the taste of his blood coating his tongue, “Never again,” He pressed another kiss to Ren’s head, “Fuck I’m so happy you’re okay.”</p><p>            Ren lifted his head to look at Takaya, and upon seeing Takaya’s tears he scrambled back to press bloody hands against his cheek; trying his best to stop Takaya’s tears. “T-taka.” Ren’s voice cracked when Takaya pulled his hands from his face.</p><p>            “I’m okay,” Takaya dropped Ren’s hands to cup his face, “I’m okay,” Takaya pressed his forehead against Ren’s breathing out a sigh of relief, “You’re okay.”</p><p>            Ren was the one who closed the space between them, pressing his blood caked lips against Takaya’s clean ones. Takaya pressed into him, letting his hands slip down to his waist to pull him down onto his chest again. Their teeth didn’t clash this time, but Ren’s top lip left a big glob of saliva above Takaya’s top lip, but Takaya didn’t mind. It didn’t matter if they sucked at kissing, at least they were kissing.</p><p>            When they pulled away Ren was the one who was crying now, large tears washing away the blood that caked the left side of his face, “T-tak-taka, I-I-I’m s-so so-so-sorr-rr-yy.” Ren ended his sentence with a hiccup, his body bouncing against Takaya’s.</p><p>            Takaya let the boy cry out into his neck, Ren’s shaky fingers curled into Takaya’s shirt, his sorries muffled against the sweaty skin of Takaya’s neck.</p><p>            “Shhhh, Ren,” Takaya ran his hands under Ren’s shirt, the skin underneath was burning hot, and sticky from the humidity. Ren’s continued to sob, hiccupping every so often to follow his sorries. “Baby.” Takaya pressed a kiss to Ren’s temple, rubbing soothingly against Ren’s back, “Baby, you’re okay. I got you, you’re okay.”</p><p>            Ren made a gross sound, sniffing the snot that threatened to escape his nose back inside, “N-nobody, Taka?”</p><p>            “Hm?” Takaya pressed a kiss to Ren’s cheek this time, looking up into Ren’s watery eyes; they almost looked gold.</p><p>            “N-nobody mad a-at me?”</p><p>            Takaya pulled the boy back in for another kiss, this one was sloppier than the first time. The taste of Ren’s blood even stronger against his tongue as their teeth banged against eachother. When they pulled away Takaya was smiling softly, lifting his hands to Ren’s face to wipe away his tears, “Of course not. When we get back everyone will congratulate you, probably tell you how cool you are.” Takaya laughed softly, leaning forward to press a peck to Ren’s puckered lips. “You’re amazing, Ren.”</p><p>            Ren flushed a dark red, but it was barely visibly in the last light of the evening and beneath the blood. He shied away, slipping off of Takaya to sit next to him, Takaya sat up taking this time to slip his bag over his neck.</p><p>            “We should probably get you cleaned up; I know you’re hurt.” Takaya nodded at Ren’s bloody shoulder, and the wound on his right thigh. “Which is which?”</p><p>            Takaya unzipped his bag to pull out the water bottle and gauze, he handed the unopen bottle to Ren, “Drink before I pour it all on your cuts.”</p><p>            Ren did that, struggling to open the bottle before downing less than half, “D-does Ta-taka—"</p><p>            “Which is which?”</p><p>            “Uuuh” Ren pointed at his shoulder, “B-bite, and- and,” He looked down in embarrassment, “I-I f-fell.” He pointed at his thigh.</p><p>            Takaya nodded, “You can drink more.” Before pulling his pocketknife from his pocket. Ren did just that taking a couple more gulps of water, he didn’t shy away when Takaya moved forward to cut his shirt off.</p><p>            “You done?” Takaya set his pocketknife down, before taking the half empty water bottle from Ren.</p><p>            “S-s-sorr—”</p><p>            “Baby, it’s fine.” Takaya leaned forward to press a quick kiss against Ren’s lips, before turning the boy’s shoulder towards him. “It might sting, water burns their saliva.”</p><p>            Ren nodded, flinching as Takaya poured half of what was left on the wound on his shoulder. The smoke flew up almost instantly, the water burning the creature’s saliva. Ren wiggled around, trying to roll his shoulder away from the pain, but there was no way to escape and he realized that with a sob.</p><p>            “Did you take the medicine Fumiki gave you?” Takaya waited patiently for the wound to stop smoking, holding Ren’s shoulder in place.</p><p>            Ren nodded, dropping his head on Takaya’s shoulder, and Takaya sighed in pleasure again. It had only been a couple hours without Ren, but he had missed the boy.</p><p>            “Here, sit up.” Takaya handed the rest of the water to Ren, “Take care of your thigh.”</p><p>            Takaya grabbed the roll of gauze from his bag while Ren poured the rest of the water on his thigh. No smoke raised from that wound, instead it seemed to have helped the pain. Ren dropped the empty water bottle at his side, watching Takaya carefully as he wrapped up his shoulder.</p><p>            Takaya made sure it was tight, but not too tight. Ren needed to be able to move his shoulder, he needed Ren to be able to handle a gun tomorrow morning. Takaya was okay with the heavy piece of metal, but Ren and his stupid military school background was much better than him.</p><p>            Ren was the one who kissed him first this time, pressing a rough kiss against the top of Takaya’s head when he bent down to wrap Ren’s thigh. Takaya hummed softly, a tune he had created in the moment. Ren joined him, resting his chin against the top of Takaya’s head.</p><p>            “D-do you…T-taka mm h-hungry.”</p><p>            “I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t bring any food.” Takaya could feel Ren’s pout, and he smiled softly once he finished wrapping up his wounds, lifting his hands to poke at Ren’s gut. The boy fell away from him with a laugh, pulling Takaya down on top of him.</p><p>            They closed the space between them once again, Ren pushing up against him harshly as his fingers tangled themselves in the knots at the base of Takaya’s neck. His hair had gotten longer since the beginning of this mess, Yoshirou used to offer to hack it off with a pocketknife, but Ren seemed to like it, so Takaya kept it. Ren’s hair had gotten longer too, his curls nothing more than knots and his hair a lighter shade of strawberry blond than when they had first met.</p><p>            They parted, to catch their breaths Ren smiling up at Takaya.</p><p>            “God I love you,” Takaya pressed his lips against Ren’s again muffling the rest, “so much.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>            “We can sleep here for the night.” Takaya offered Ren his extra sweatshirt as an apology for ripping apart his shirt, and Ren took it happily slipping it over his head.</p><p>            “B-but what if. T-t-the Biters.”</p><p>            Ren called them Biters, so Takaya was correct.</p><p>            “I kind of,” Takaya peered down into the opening that used to have stairs leaning down, “I kind of broke the stairs.”</p><p>            Ren’s face paled as he too joined Takaya on the edge of the opening, they peered down into the darkness, the mess of rubble that used to be the stairs barely visible.</p><p>            “H-how are w-we gonna. What about? Getting back to t-them?”</p><p>            Takaya awkwardly brushed his bangs from his face—that was the downside of his longer hair—he probably should have been more careful coming up the stairs.</p><p>            “We’re gonna have to jump.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i have a thing for takaya calling ren baby... oopsie!! anyway come talk to me on tumblr (@oveath-shouyyou)... or request a prompt from me!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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